...Davis's skillful assembly of well-defined
characters and her precise, concisely wrought
descriptions add color to Eddie's bleak
surroundings and demonstrate that love, beauty
and compassion can flourish in the most unlikely
places....

...a
dead-on understanding of what it's like on the
other side of the tracks... accurately captures
the mixture of resentment and shame that many
poor children feel, but also delivers plenty of
the thing they need most: hope...

The theme of this award-winning book is how children who live
with alcoholic, dysfunctional parents in poverty have many
challenges to face but can also be resilient when necessary.
Both the characters and the plot are well developed, and the
narration flows smoothly for easy reading.

... I started reading
your book to my homeroom last week---the 1st wk
of school. Today we invited my team teacher's 25
kids in to share with us. My kids very excitedly
told the others about the book and tried to get
them up to speed. When it was time for lunch, no
one wanted to leave!!!! Typical comments were,
"This is my favorite book ever."
"I LOVE this book!" On and on. I was
supposed to give them your website as many wanted
to get in touch with you but the day got away
from me. Tomorrow! ...they're just mesmerized by
everything and can't wait to meet you...

From an
email - Libby -- 4th Grade Teacher -- Florida

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Crazy Characters at the
Cadillac MotelHave you ever run away from home? That is
just what happens in Evangeline Brown and the
Cadillac Motel by Michele Ivy Davis. This is
a story of true friendship and the hard life that
the two kids, Evangeline and Farrell, have. This
story is about their adventures.

Evangeline Brown and the
Cadillac Motel is about eleven year old
Evangeline whose Pa is an alcoholic. So is her
pas best friend Jesse. Evangelines
best friend is Farrell, which is Jesses
son. Evangelines ma died when she was very
young. Farrell and Eddie (that is
Evangelines nickname) have trouble with
their Pas when their teacher, Miss Rose,
visits their houses. One day they hear Miss Rose
talking to the principal that she is going to
call social services about their problems at
home. Farrell has had social services called
before, and he tells Eddie that they will never
get him again...NEVER!

I cant tell you how the
story ends, but I can tell you what I enjoyed
most. I liked all of the crazy characters. One of
my favorites was Angelique Starr; that is her
stage name. Angelique always puts on makeup like
a clown as described by Eddie.

Another interesting person was a man who
escaped from jail. Eddie gives details about his
eyes, which made me feel that his eyes told lies.
But my favorite character of all was Evangeline.
The emotions that she feels in the book make her
seem real and come to life.

Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel
was the winner of the Ann Durell Fiction Contest
with Dutton Childrens Books. It has also
been nominated as a future Sunshine State book. I
was able to do an interview with Ms. Davis and
asked her what her favorite part of the book was.
It was at the end, so youll have to read
this exciting book to find out!

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Summary:Evangeline Brown is a six-grader
who lives with her alcoholic father in a run-down motel, The
Cadillac Motel, in Paradise, Florida. Evangeline is embarrassed
by the motel, which features a pink Cadillac butt protruding
from the front, and equally embarrassed by her father, who stays
drunk most of the time. Life is rather bleak for Evangeline,
until a new friend, Farrell, moves into the neighborhood.
Evangeline and Farrell share many similarities; both of their
mother's are deceased and their fathers are drinking buddies.
When a new teacher arrives and decides to make a home visit to
all the parents, Evangeline and Farrell fear Social Services may
intervene when they see their home lives. Both kids decide to
run away before they're taken away.

Evaluation:Life in Paradise, Florida is
anything but paradise for Evangeline Brown. Her mother is dead,
her father is a drunk, and she lives in a run-down motel that
has the butt end of a pink Cadillac protruding from the front.
Life becomes a little brighter when a new friend moves to the
neighborhood, Farrell. Farrell's father is a drinking buddy of
Evangeline's Pa. Farrell and Evangeline share a love of
basketball and similar lives. Evangeline is a smart, mature
character that the reader will sympathize with and root for.
Although Evangeline's life appears bleak and hopeless, the book
provides a hopeful, encouraging end. The story supplies an
inspiring message of facing life's problems and not running away
from them, regardless of the situation.

I am a school librarian ... and
I just received your book yesterday from the
library media/technology office at the school
board. Something about it really caught my
eye, so I started reading it yesterday afternoon
and finished it today on my lunch break. I
enjoyed it very much; it reminded me of a cross
betweenBecause of Winn Dixieand Kingsolver'sThe
Bean Trees. I will be recommending it
to my students, and just wanted to drop you an
email to say that I really enjoyed reading it.
Thank you for allowing me to spend a little time
in Evangeline's world.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Summary:
Evangeline, better known as "Eddie." lives with her alcoholic
father in a motel in Florida. The motel is hard to miss since it
has the back end of a pink Cadillac sticking out of the office
wall. Although Eddie likes to read, she has simply tolerated
school in the past and is not looking forward to sixth grade.
But a new boy moves in next door, a new teacher takes the place
of old Mrs. Thornton and Eddie gets glasses. These changes are
just the beginning and the start of a new, better life for
Eddie.

Evaluation:Eddie is a very likeable,
realistic character that most middle school girls, and maybe
some boys, will like. She is strong because she has to be, but
also knows her limits. I would recommend this for most middle
school and public libraries.

...I just finished reading your book. I think
it is a lovely piece of YA reading and I related
to Eddie on so many levels -- with the exception
of the pink butt of that Cadillac! (Smile.) I
look forward to reading more of your pieces...

This is a
wonderful story that made me laugh and cry. I
really loved the main character. The author does
such a wonderful job that you really feel part of
the story. I am an adult and I plan on sharing
this one with both my 8 year old and 11 year old.
A great book to curl up with!

What a delightful
book! I enjoyed the engaging story and the spunk
of the main character. Eddie is a no nonsense
tomboy on the outside and a vulnerable young girl
within. The author lends a remarkable insight
into the life of a young girl of difficult
circumstances. I recommend this book to anyone
who would like to enjoy its simple lessons. I
truly do believe that this book shouldn't be
limited to kids!

I read your book, Evangeline Brown and the
Cadillac Motel, and I just absolutely loved it!!
It was very touching. It ended up making me cry,
but they were mostly happy tears, a couple sad.

A lot of people say they have to connect with
the character to like the story. Well, I
didnt have a lot in common but we did have
some, and I did connect with Evangeline. I
just wanted to tell you I loved your book
and I cant wait until I read your
next book!!!

I was reading it a couple of chapters at a
time until I got to the part about planning to
run away... Couldn't sleep last night so I
got up and finished the book about 3:30 this
morning. What an appropriate "lesson"
because I don't reckon there have
been many of us that haven't felt
like running away at some time or another... A
good lesson on responsibility and not giving
up...I really liked it...

Davis does a great job of capturing not only
the voices of young kids (and some pretty
interesting adults, for that matter), but also
the wide emotional swings -- one minute you
resent the new kid on the block, the next you're
best friends, and back again. Evangeline Brown --
oops, "Eddie" -- will break your heart
and make you grin ear to ear. The story is
refreshing in its ability to find hope despite
hardship, without descending into sappiness. As
Eddie says, that perfect place somewhere over the
rainbow may not really exist, but sometimes you
just have to make your own rainbows.

With
its wonderfully willful heroine, reminiscent of
Scout in To Kill a Mocking
Bird, Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel
is a poignant story that both touched my heart
and tickled my funny bone ---an honest tale that
speaks to the longing for love and attention in
us all.

Sixth-grader Eddie
(short for Evangeline Dawn) Brown, narrator of
this impressive first novel, lives in Paradise,
Fla., a town "full of dust and dirt and
rotting buildings," and her history is just
as grim as the setting. Her mother is dead, her
pa is alcoholic, and Eddie hates living in a
run-down motel, which features "the big butt
end of [a] pink Cadillac [that] looks like it's
crashed partway through the cinder-block wall of
the motel office." Eddie's prospects for the
future begin to brighten, however, after she
meets three newcomers to Paradise: Miss Rose, a
teacher who recognizes Eddie's intelligence and
singing talent; Angelique Starr, an
exotic-looking guest at the motel; and, most
importantly, Farrell Garrett, a boy who has
suffered even more than Eddie. When Eddie and
Farrell overhear Miss Rose planning to call
Social Services about the poor living conditions
of some of her students, the two decide to run
away. Davis's skillful assembly of well-defined
characters and her precise, concisely wrought
descriptions add color to Eddie's bleak
surroundings and demonstrate that love, beauty
and compassion can flourish in the most unlikely
places. Ages 8-up.

Eddie (Evangeline Dawn) and Farrell find
friendship in the unlikely town of Paradise. Both
have drunks for fathers, tough skins from being
bullied, and bright, but undiscovered, minds.
Warm, funny, and thoughtful -- this book has it
all!

Almost 17 percent of American children live in
poverty, a startling statistic. Michele Ivy Davis
gives readers a touching and realistic glimpse
into the life of one of these children in her new
novel Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel.
Davis must have grown up poor, or had close
friends who did, because she shows a dead-on
understanding of what it's like on the other side
of the tracks.

Evangeline (Eddie, to her friends) Brown lives
in a sleepy little Florida town called Paradise,
and she doesn't like her home life very much.
There's a lot not to like. For starters, her
mother died when she was small, and she lives at
her father's business, a run-down motel with the
tail end of a pink Cadillac mounted on one wall.
If that weren't embarrassing enough, she sports a
wardrobe of second-hand clothes, and most of the
time when she gets home from school, her father
is passed out, drunk. She shuns, and is shunned
by, the other kids at school, and with sixth
grade starting up, she's dreading the wizened old
teacher she's sure to get.

Imagine Eddie's surprise when young Miss Rose
strolls in the door! Her happiness quickly turns
to consternation when her new teacher puts her in
the front of the class, and after sizing up a few
test scores, begins to call on her more than
she'd like. She reluctantly tries out for the
choir at Miss Rose's behest, but the last straw
comes when she finds out that the teacher is
planning on visiting her at home! With the help
of her new friend Farrell, the son of her dad's
drinking buddy, Eddie decides on a drastic plan
of actionshe's going to run away.

Davis accurately captures the mixture of
resentment and shame that many poor children
feel, but also delivers plenty of the thing they
need most: hope. The winner of the Dutton
Children's Books Ann Durell Fiction Contest, Evangeline
Brown and the Cadillac Motel is a winning
first novel that young readers will learn from
and enjoy.

Evangeline
Dawn Brown, who used her first two initials to come up with the
nickname Eddie, lives with her widowed father in an apartment of
the gaudy Cadillac Motel (it actually has the end of an old pink
Cadillac automobile sticking out the front) which he owns and
operates on Celestial Ave. in Paradise, FL. Unfortunately, her
father spends most of his time drinking beer and whisky with his
old friend Jesse, who had recently moved to town and works on
cars at a nearby garage, and has more often than not been in an
alcoholic stupor since Eddie's mother died. It seems as if the
only people who care anything about her are Ruby, the motel's
housekeeper, and Angelique, a new resident at the motel who
begins working some at the front desk. Because it is on the
"wrong side" of town, Eddie has few friends at school.

However, the
summer before Eddie goes into sixth grade, she and Jesse's son
Farrell become good friends, partially because they have several
things in common--grieving over dead mothers, having alcoholic
fathers, and playing basketball. Things seem to be going a
little better until the new school teacher that fall, Miss Rose,
starts visiting the homes of her students. Eddie is almost
ashamed for her to visit the Cadillac Motel. After Miss Rose
had visited both Farrell's and Eddie's homes, the two youngsters
overhear her telling the principal that she was going to call
social services to get help for some of the families. Farrell
had been involved with social services following his mother's
death, was in several foster homes before coming to Paradise,
and did not want to go back to that. So he and Eddie hatch a
plan to run away to Atlanta, GA, and live with Farrell's
grandmother. Will they make it, or will something happen to
keep them from carrying out their scheme?

The theme of
this award-winning book is how children who live with alcoholic,
dysfunctional parents in poverty have many challenges to face
but can also be resilient when necessary. Both the characters
and the plot are well developed, and the narration flows
smoothly for easy reading. Parents, especially of children on
the younger end of the reading level, should know that there are
some cursing and taking the Lord's name in vain, though Eddie
does wince whenever she says a bad word because her dad had
taught her not to "cuss." There is a definite sadness that runs
throughout the book, but in the end there is a positive note of
hope. One may not always approve of the choices that Eddie
makes, but they are understandable given the circumstances, and
there are important lessons to be learned from the fact that
Eddie is able to find the help that she needs.

Over in Tampa, another first-time novelist,
Michele Ivy Davis, entered her novel in a
national contest and won the grand prize -- a
publishing contract. Evangeline Brown and The
Cadillac Motel (Dutton, $16.99, ages 8 to 12)
debuts next month, the bittersweet tale of a
motherless child who makes her first true friend
and rescues her father from his alcohol-soaked
grief. Eddie -- the nickname Evangeline gives
herself -- is a great character, a near-sighted
tuffy with skinned knees and a gruff exterior
masking her very frightened soul. What she's
afraid of -- get out your hankies -- is that no
one loves her. She's wrong. I do, for one.

Sixth-grader Evangeline Dawn
Brown is embarrassed about the "butt
end" of an old pink Cadillac that protrudes
from a wall of her father's run-down motel as a
gimmick to attract customers in Paradise, FL.
Even more embarrassing is the fact that since her
mother died, her father has become an alcoholic.
Fortunately, a new friend, Farrell, likes
basketball as much as she does, lives nearby, and
shares many of her feelings since his mother is
dead, too, and his father drinks with Eddie's
father. The protagonist is a good student who is
happy with her new teacher until the woman
announces that she will visit each child's home.
Eddie does her best to make a good impression
during the visit, but her father is obviously
drunk. Both youngsters fear intervention by
social workers who might send them to foster
homes, and they plan to run away together.
Likable characters are developed in a satisfying,
linear plot that explores the challenges of
living with dysfunctional adults. Though this
novel is not as multilayered as Patricia Reilly
Giff's Pictures of Hollis Woods (Random, 2002),
readers will find parallel relationships and
action.

Review
by Jean Gaffney
Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library
Miamisburg, OH
Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Go
back to Review Highlights

Review: YA BOOKS CENTRAL

Everyone,
sometimes secretly and sometimes not, likes to
read about familiar places and familiar things.
Reading Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel
brought me back to when I was young and we had
just moved to Florida. We lived for the summer in
a motel much like Evangeline's while we searched
for a house. Backwoods Florida has hundreds of
these little places: small, dusty, paint peeling
off the walls, the smell of mildew assaulting you
whenever you open the door. But they still have
charm for all of that.

Evangeline is having a hard time seeing the
charm since her mother died. Her dad doesn't keep
the place up like he could (in fact, he spends
more time drinking with his buddy than anything
else). She doesn't have any friends at school
until Farrell comes to live next door with her
Pa's drinking buddy. It's an uneasy friendship at
first, since neither of them seems to know
exactly how to behave.

A new teacher at school is a pleasant surprise
for Evangeline. Instead of the dreaded Mrs.
Thornton, she has the young and pretty Miss Rose.
But Miss Rose is planning on scheduling home
visits and that scares both Evangeline and
Farrell. They know that their home life isn't all
it's cracked up to be and Evangeline in
particular is both embarrassed and ashamed.

Things come to a head when Evangeline and
Farrell both fear that Social Services are coming
to take them away. (There are quite a few other
things going on in this story, but I don't want
to give away every detail) In the end, they both
discover that family is what you make of it.

This is a nicely written story about the
importance of friendship, family, and being true
to yourself. I recommend this book for readers
aged 10 and up.

In this novel, which won
the coveted Ann Durrell Fiction Contest (Dutton
Children's Books' contest for new writers of
middle-grade fiction), Evangeline
"Eddie" Brown lives in poverty with her
beer-sodden father. Their home is the rarely
frequented Cadillac Motel, decorated with the
butt-end of a pink Cadillac. Eddie has lived in
Paradise since she was born. The motel is in sad
shape and so is Eddie's Pa, who has never
recovered from her mother's death when Eddie was
five. Ruby, the motel maid, functions somewhat as
a mom substitute. Eddie is friendless and teased
unmercifully at school.

Eddie meets Farrell, the son of one of Pa's
drinking buddies. The two connect through their
mutual love of basketball. Eddie is troubled by
Farrell's secrets. Why is he afraid of enclosed
spaces? Where is the place he lived when his
mother died? When school starts, they strike a
deal: Eddie will help Farrell with his schoolwork
in exchange for fighting lessons. Farrell and
Eddie combine their talents to solve problems.
Their solutions sometimes result in triumph but
also lead them into danger.

Along with her new friend, Eddie also has a new
teacher. Instead of cranky old Mrs. Thornton, the
class has pretty, sweet Miss Rose. Her new
teacher drops a bombshell: she plans to visit
each student's home. Eddie is awash in shame and
fear at the thought of her lovely teacher in the
trashed-out motel meeting her drunken father. She
is desperate to prevent that scenario.

This is a poignant book with fresh, surprising
characters (I love Eddie's attitude!) and a
lively but thoughtful plot. It's both
heartbreaking and heartwarming but never slips
into sentimentality. Although I thought that
perhaps the situation with Eddie's father was
resolved just a bit too easily, this is a minor
quibble with such a wonderful novel. Indeed, I
simply cannot wait to read many more books by
talented newcomer Michele Ivy Davis.

Eleven-year-old Evangeline has built
a protective shell around herself in order to
survive life with an alcoholic father in their
increasingly decrepit Florida motel. Her gradual
acceptance of friendship and growing trust of
adults is believable. Setting and
characterizations are also well drawn in this
poignant story.

SummaryThis is a story of Eddie
(Evangeline) and how she manages to survive in a
single parent family with an alcoholic father and
various characters. She lives in a poor side of
town and stays by herself in order to survive the
criticism of her classmates. She prides herself
on being "the odd bird" as a matter of
coping. She befriends a boy with a similar life
situation and, as they bond and share
experiences, they find themselves in a situation
that forces their fathers to face the reality of
alcoholism on their children.

EvaluationThe book was slow reading in
the beginning, but it was worth hanging in there.
The story is heart-wrenching because it is the
story of many children. The ending is happy in
that the father of Eddie and Farrell both come to
their senses with the help of a very wise
teacher. I plan to offer this book to students
who live in similar situations. It helps to
understand the coping strategies that are
developed as a matter of survival  and
which are keepers.

Evangeline,
who would rather be called "Eddie,"
lives with her father in the rundown Cadillac
Motel in the poorer area of the town of Paradise
on Celestial Avenue. Since her mother has died,
her alcoholic father takes little interest in
Eddie or the upkeep of the motel. Her best friend
(actually her only friend) is Farrell whose
father is her dad's drinking buddy. After their
new teacher makes home visits, they overhear her
discussing calling the social services concerning
the home conditions of some students. They know
that they are the ones she is discussing. Farrell
convinces Eddie that the best thing for them to
do is to run away to stay with his grandmother in
Atlanta. Students will enjoy this story of a
strong sixth grader working through difficulties
and coming out a winner. (Rating:
Outstanding/Superior)

Evangeline, or Eddie,
appears to have a simple life, living in the town
of Paradise. Her and her Pa dwell in a tacky
worn-out 50s motel, with a big
Cadillac butt sticking out of the
storefront. Pa thinks the idea will appeal to
customers, but Eddie detests it. With the new
school year starting soon and a teacher she does
not like, Eddie encounters some new faces that
may change her life. When she realizes that her
family life is in jeopardy, she wants to do
something about it, and fast. Running away seems
to be the thing to do. In Evangeline Brown and
the Cadillac Motel, Michele Ivy Davis
successfully engages the reader in the many
events of Eddies life. This story
illustrates some effective problem solving, and
teaches the reader to appreciate life a little
more.

Evangeline,
otherwise known as Eddie, is a ten-year-old girl
who lives an isolated life in Paradise, a small
town in Florida. Her family is poor, and her
distant, lazy, alcoholic father runs a
broken-down motor lodge called the Cadillac
Motel. Her mother died when she was young;
unfortunately her father won't even talk to her
about it. To make matters worse, the kids at
school pick on her. Things pick up, though, when
she befriends Farrell, a ten-year-old boy who
lives nearby. Farrell has had a difficult life
too, for he has only an alcoholic father as well,
and he is the only one who truly understands
Eddie. The two become close over the course of
the school year, and they forge a strong
friendship. As their respective situations worsen
at home, the two decide they must do something to
change their lives. They decide to run away to
Atlanta, but after a frightening encounter at the
bus station and a night out in the woods, Eddie
gains a truer understanding of her father and
decides to return home. Farrell, unable to part
with Eddie, also returns. The whole experience
brings the two closer together and improves their
respective relationships with their fathers.
Davis's story is well written, evoking both
laughter and tears. Children and adults alike
will enjoy this story of Eddie's growth and
maturation. 2004, Dutton's Children's Books, Ages
12 up.